


Resistance

by stelladelnordxd



Series: Resistance is Futile [1]
Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M, Includes RL Storylines, M/M, Some ships and Characters come later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:35:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4285644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stelladelnordxd/pseuds/stelladelnordxd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seth knows he's being stupid. Knows that he shouldn't be looking for Roman, has no right to be looking for Roman. Except he made a promise to Roman's little girl a long time ago, and he doesn't plan on breaking it, even now. Of course, with his past with Roman, can he come out of this still as The Authority's Golden Boy, or will things change?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I'm being incredibly stupid," He mutters to himself while walking through the hallways backstage. He vaguely notices the other wrestlers hanging around looking at him weirdly, but he doesn't pay attention to it, continuing to mumble under his breath.

"I have no right to even be wondering," He groans, stopping at the end of the hall and banging his head on the wall opposite him. And that's true, really. He has no right to want to go find the person he wants to look for and question him about what's going on. Fingers clenching around his title belt, Seth Rollins lets out a breath before turning around and looking at the people surrounding him.

He knows he can't ask anyone that could tell The Authority what he wanted – who he was looking for, which means he had to ask someone – someone that didn't like The Authority. Which, to be honest, was a lot of people, but with the way he was paused in the hallway, he knew it would be tougher than he thought.

Letting out another breath, Seth turns his head to the side, arching an eyebrow when he notices Jimmy – or was it Jey? – walking towards him. Asking an Uso would definitely be the best way to go about it, he thinks to himself, chewing on his lower lip as he narrows his eyes in thought. But it could also backfire on him, he knows. No matter which Uso it was, they wouldn't tell him anything.

He was Seth Rollins. He betrayed their cousin, in one of the worst ways possible, and he knew that whichever Uso it was could easily lie to him or scoff at him. But Seth also knew he really had to try, because he knew that the worry that was coursing through his body would not ease unless he knew.

Letting out one last exasperated breath, Seth stepped away from the wall and towards the Uso until he was close enough to notice that it was Jimmy in front of him, and that Jimmy had no choice but to notice him in return. Seth watches as Jimmy looks him up and down with an arched eyebrow and Seth can't help but catalog his own self, either.  
His normally well-combed hair is a mess, he knows. He's been worrying his fingers through it since he learned that Roman had been kicked out of the building, tugging at it when he was particularly frustrated. Even after his match with Ambrose, he had come back here in search of the man, and damn it, he knew he shouldn't even be worried but –

"Whaddya want, Uce?" Jimmy questions after a few minutes and Seth worries on his lower lip before opening and closing his mouth a few times.

"Where's Ro—Reigns," He questions, cringing at himself for nearly slipping and saying Roman instead. He has to appear like the version of himself that most people dislike. He can't be like himself, he thinks. He has to be The Authority's Golden Boy, which means not caring. Which he thinks, is impossible, especially when it comes to Roman and what's been going on recently. He watches as Jimmy arches his eyebrow even higher at his question and he can't help but shake his leg, worry coursing through him again. He's so close to just begging to know, and he has to stop himself when he finds his mouth opening to do just that.

"Why d'you care, Rollins?" Jimmy eventually questions and that? That's the thing, Seth thinks to himself. He knows he shouldn't care about Roman. Knows he shouldn't even be looking for Roman. He betrayed Roman, in one of the worst ways possible. Except, he remembers, when the Shield first started out, Seth made a promise to a beautiful little princess that he never planned on breaking, even now. Looking up at Jimmy, Seth shakes his head a little bit.

"I made a promise, Jimmy, to a little princess. And I don't plan on breaking it." He mutters while looking away for a minute before narrowing his eyes when he looks back at the Uso. He can see the surprise flicker through Jimmy's face, and he can't help but wonder just how much Jimmy (and Jey, by proxy) knew about the relationship Roman and Seth shared with one another. Did Jimmy know that the two of them would often spend their nights together, talking about the future, as a family? Seth doesn't know. And Seth shouldn't care. But he could never get Roman out of his head, even after he joined The Authority.

"Jimmy—" He begins before clamping down his mouth and pursing his lips as Jimmy's eyes widen and he gulps.

"Shit, uce," Jimmy responds with a shake of his head before he lets out a breath and runs his fingers through his hair. Jimmy's quiet for a few minutes before he shakes his head once more and looks away briefly.

"He managed to sneak back in during your match. Last I checked, he's hiding out in Dean's locker room." Jimmy states before managing to walk past Seth before pausing. "Don’t hurt 'im again, man." Jimmy responds before walking away completely and leaving Seth looking down in shame.

He hated hurting Roman, he remembers. It was the one thing that made him think long and hard about joining Hunter and Stephanie, made him think about whether or not betraying The Shield would be worth it. Fun fact? It sort of wasn't. He missed Roman, he knew. Missed spending his days and nights with the man, missed having conversations with him. Missed everything about him, really.

Letting out one last breath, Seth headed towards Ambrose's locker room, chewing on his lower lip as he gets closer to the room. He doesn't know where Ambrose is but knows that if he's with Roman, there's no way in hell that Seth will be talking to Roman tonight.

"Fucking hell," He snarls to himself when he finds himself in front of the door to Ambrose's room, standing there, completely still. He knows he should just walk in, but –

"I am not scared," He whispers to himself, shaking his head as he widens his eyes and bounces in his spot. "I'm not," He mutters while putting his hand on the doorknob and letting out a deep breath.

"I have this," He mutters before turning the knob and throwing open the door before leaning against the doorjam and crossing his legs, trying to appear nonchalant. He watches as Roman looks up and frowns at him before looking away. Watches as the confusion goes through Roman's face while he plays with his fingers, and Seth knows that this means Roman's worried about his kid.

The silence is awkward and Seth finds himself shifting slightly, clearly uncomfortable while Roman watches him. After a few minutes, Roman scoffs and shakes his head while Seth's shoulder's slump slightly.

"What d'ya want, Rollins?" Roman eventually asks and Seth cringes at the cold tone. Even when the two were talking in the ring together, Roman never had that cold tone, and Seth can't help but hate it, even though he knows he deserves it.

He knows Roman is watching him and he shifts once before looking around the room for Ambrose.

"Dean's not here," Roman scoffs and Seth exhales before entering the room and closing the door, locking it subconsciously from when they were together. With a breath, he steps closer to Roman, running his fingers through his hair and tugging as he jiggles his leg a little, noticing Roman frown.

"What the hell are you so nervous about?" Roman questions as Seth pauses and sits on the bench across from Roman and slumps his body. His fingers clench as he snorts, thinking about how well Roman knows him before shaking his head.

"I made a promise," Seth begins after a few minutes of silence, leg still shaking in the spot as Roman frowns.

"You made a lot of promises, Rollins," Roman snarls quietly as Seth flinches away and looks down. He deserves that, he knows but it still hurts Seth to hear Roman so angry with him. Exhaling, Seth slumps some more before running his fingers through his hair and looking at Roman briefly.

"I made a promise, to a little girl, that I don't intend on breaking, even if I did –" Seth stops here when he notices Roman looking at him curiously. He should keep going, he thinks. He shouldn't stop now, not when he was getting out what he wanted to say.

"And I know that after June, I don't have a right to even ask you –"

"You're right, you don't." Roman interrupts with a glare as Seth clamps his mouth shut and looks away, shaking his leg again even though he doesn't remember stopping the first time.

"Why d'you even care, man?" Roman asks after minutes of awkward silence, looking at him with wide eyes. Seth could never stand that look, he thinks briefly before looking away and biting on his lip. He called it Roman's puppy-eyed look, usually gave Rome whatever he wanted when said look was aimed at him.

"I don't!" He snaps before sighing in exasperation at himself and at the arched eyebrow Roman produces, clearly knowing he's lying through his teeth.

"Don' do that. Don't fuckin' lie to me, Seth. How 'bout you tell me why you actually care, huh?" Roman whispers, furious as Seth stands up and begins pacing.

"I don't know!" He shouts after a few minutes, tugging on his hair and falling to the ground, annoyed with himself as Roman kneels in front of him.

"This isn't even your battle to begin with," Roman points out as Seth nods his head, knowing how true that is.

"I made her a promise, Roman. An' I never planned on breaking it, even after everythin' that went down." Seth states with a shrug, tilting his head against the wall and looking up at the older man. He can tell that Roman is taking everything in and finds himself opening his mouth in surprise when he sits down in front of Seth and stares at him for a few minutes.

Shifting uncomfortably, Seth begins to play with his uniform, just for the sake of doing something until Roman puts his hand on top of Seth's, effectively making him freeze. Briefly looking up at the older man, he's surprised to see Roman looking at him, and he looks down before snarling in exasperation and standing up. It's been a year, he thinks, tugging at his hair as he kicks the wall in front of him. It's been a long year of trying so hard to ignore Roman, ignore what they used to have, to act like The Authority's Golden Boy. So caught up in his thoughts, Seth barely realizes that Roman is right next to him, watching him intently as he struggles with what to say.

So caught up in his thoughts, Seth doesn't realize it when Roman stands in front of him and stops him from continuing his frustrated pacing. If there was one thing Seth could admit, in this moment, with Roman standing in front of him, it was that Roman looked good. Better than when they were a faction, he thinks, licking his lips before looking away and then back at Roman. His hair is a little bit longer than Seth remembers, but still just as thick from the looks of it. He kind of wants to run his fingers through it, but he knows that that would lead to something – something – and he can't handle that right now.

His muscles are bulging, and the unzipped vest adds to it, Seth thinks before groaning and stepping away for his own sanity, not missing the small smirk that appeared on Roman's face. Seth could just punch the older man – wants to punch the older man, and then kiss him senseless like the good ol' days before, for once, turning him around and --

"You gon'make me ask you again, Rollins?" Roman questions while interrupting Seth's train of thought, causing Seth to blush as he realizes where it was heading anyways. Exhaling, Seth falls to the floor and drops his head before putting his gloved hands into his hair and tugging once more.

"I made a promise to your daughter, Roman. I ain' gonna break it. I wanna know what's being done to keep her safe from Wyatt," Seth quietly responds, not noticing the hard look that has replaced the small frown on Roman's face before he's being hauled up by Roman's hands.

"Meep," He mutters with wide eyes as he looks at a very pissed of Roman Reigns. If he could, Seth would slump, but since Roman is holding him up by pressing his forearm into Seth's throat –

"Rome—" Seth coughs just as Roman tightens his hold and snarls.

"Why do you care, Seth? You betrayed us, you hurt me, you shouldn't care!" Roman snarls while stepping in closer to keep his hold on Seth but loosening it all the same.

"You think I don't know that, Roman? You think I didn't battle with myself while looking for you tonight? That I wanted you to be kicked out?" Seth snarls back while flailing a little for feeling indignant. Panting, Seth looks away with a frown before looking back and narrowing his eyes briefly.

"Wasn't askin' about what you wanted," Roman whispers in response as Seth slumps in confusion and looks at Roman, knowing the confusion is showing on his face. Roman always did say he was an open book with him, but then again – Roman was always an open book with Seth, too.

"I—" Seth hesitates with a frown, looking away once more. Somewhere, he knows what Roman is asking him. Why was he so nervous to come see Roman? That – that was a good question. One that Seth knew the answer to but didn't want to answer.

"Why are you so nervous, Seth?" Roman asks while stepping incredibly closer to Seth, so that they're mostly touching. Gulping, Seth looks at Roman's lips before looking away and closing his eyes, shaking his head briefly.

"Is it because you decided to actually be you for the first time in a year, instead of being the authority's little golden boy? Is it because you decided to come find me, after everything? Why are you so damn nervous tonight?" Roman questions quietly while nosing Seth's neck, making the man groan and wrap his hands around Roman's neck and letting out a whimper.

"Or maybe it's because you know how bad things could turn out for you if someone found out you were even looking for me in the first place," Roman responds with a shrug, stepping away and letting Seth fall to the ground in a heap.

"Who am I to know shit about you anymore, right?" Roman finishes, turning away and taking off his vest, leaving Seth with the sight of his back, causing the man to let out another whimper. He knows that Roman is right, that Roman can't trust Seth after everything, but –

"I'm still who I used to be Roman." Seth whispers with a shrug before standing up and swiping away imaginary dirt on his pants. "I'm still the man that made a promise to a little girl and plans on keeping it. I'm still the man that –"

"WHAT ABOUT THE PROMISE YOU MADE ME, SETH?!" Roman interrupts with a shout, turning around in pure fury as Seth takes a step back, blinking in surprise. He's always called Roman a volcano, but seeing it happening right now? Shit. And it doesn't take long for Seth to remember the promise that Roman is talking about, a promise made after their first night together; a promise that Seth continuously thinks about, even now, more than a year later. 

"What I want to know more than anything Seth is why? Why would you do that to me when we had everything between us?" Roman asks dejectedly and Seth cringes. He's been, admittedly, waiting for this question for a long time. He always figured though, that when Roman asked him, it wouldn't be when Roman was so emotionally vulnerable, and Seth can't help but cringe, because he's known what his answer would be for just as long.

Cringing one last time, Seth looks up into Roman's eyes and holds his gaze for a moment. "We didn't have anything, Rome." Seth begins while knowing that he can't look away. If he looks away, Roman will know that he's lying. Roman will know that Roman meant everything to him and Roman cannot know this.

"You were just a means to an end." Seth grits out with a smirk while his heart pounds as Roman's face changes. Trying his hardest to not let his own face change, Seth arches an eyebrow and chuckles.

"What, you thought you were?" He scoffs with a shake of his head before stepping forward and closing in on Roman. "Everything that happened with us was a lie, Roman. Why do you think it was so easy to betray you?" Seth states while looking at Roman's lips briefly before flinching internally when he sees Roman arch an eyebrow.

"Now. Are you gonna answer me or?" Seth snarls, fists clenching as Roman rises to his full height, trying to intimidate him. But surely Roman realizes that he couldn't--- Realization dawns on Seth as he narrows his eyes and steps back with a stumble.

"I won't tell you. Not when you won't tell me the truth, Seth." Snarling, Seth turns around and heads towards the door, trying to unlock it and briefly wondering why he locked it in the first fucking place. Stilling when he feels Roman come up from behind him, Seth lets out a whimper and tilts his head back, eyes closed when he feels Roman's breath on his neck.

"When you apologize, truly apologize, and can tell me the truth? Then I will tell you what I'm doing to protect my princess. Until then? You can keep being the authority's little golden boy," Roman whispers before placing a small kiss in the juncture where Seth's neck meets his shoulder before unlocking the door and stepping backwards.  
Seth wastes no time in opening it and walking out. It isn't until he's back in his own locker room, panting, that he falls to the floor and lets out a quiet, frustrated scream, jumping when he hears the clearing of a throat from in front of him.

"You okay there, Rollins?" Kane asks with an arched brow and Seth nods, doing some breathing exercises before nodding once more.

"Never better." He mutters while standing up from the ground to close the door to his room, spotting Roman with a smirk as he does so.


	2. Chapter 2

Clearly, Seth Rollins cannot lie to Roman Reigns for shit, he grumbles to himself. It's been a few days and it's now Monday evening and Seth walks through the hallways of the arena, eyes searching for Roman so he could avoid the man. It wasn't a hard thing to do, he knew – in fact he was more worried about bumping into Kane. Ever since Smackdown, the much older man had been watching him closely and it irritated Seth, reminded him of when he was new to the group, when everyone thought he was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode and bring back the shield.

Scowling to himself, Seth shakes his head and walks into his locker room, shutting the door and sliding against it, eyes closed while letting out a deep breath before jumping at the clearing of another throat. Opening his eyes, he groans when he sees Kane smirking at him with an arched eyebrow. Something about the smirk grates on Seth nerves and he can't help but stand up straight and narrow his eyes, clearly bristling. Kane chuckles before shaking his head and stepping forward slightly.

"You ready for tonight's match?" Kane asks and Seth finds himself frowning slightly in confusion while chewing on his lower lip in thought. He doesn't recall being told what his match was for tonight and Kane knows it by the smirk on his face. Pulling out his phone in order to check to see if he has any texts, he opens the one he finds from Hunter and pales when he reads it.

"I'm tagging with you against Ambrose and Reigns. Gotcha." Seth nods before opening his door and arching his eyebrow. "Now, if you don't mind, Kane. I need to get ready." Seth breathes, dropping his bag as he watches Kane watch him before leaving.

"Whatever it is you're thinking about Rollins? Don't let it affect your game." Kane states before walking away while leaving Seth worried. He _was_ thinking about Roman and he _knew_ he should be thinking about Lesnar but –

Growling in frustration, Seth rips open his duffle bag and rummages through it, looking for his outfit before hitting something hard. Frowning, Seth wraps his hand around the object before pulling it out and smiling lightly at the snow globe that Roman's daughter gave to him for the previous Christmas. He never knew how she managed it but inside the globe was the shield and herself at a Christmas Town, clearly in the middle of a snow ball fight.

Sighing and then making a split second decision, Seth stands up and opens the door from his locker room before walking it out, not noticing how the door never slammed shut behind him. Unsure of where Roman would be getting ready, Seth heads in the general direction of where the shield used to get ready. It takes him only a few minutes before he finds himself slowing, knowing he's nowhere near where they would have gotten ready but curious all the same when he hears Roman's daughter talking. Stopping completely, he pokes his head in through the door, making sure not to be seen before his eyes widen and his fists clench.

"What the fuck?" He mumbles as he watches Bray kneel down in front of Roman's daughter with a smile. Shaking his head, Seth looks around for a minute before continuing to watch as the young child takes a step back with a frown. It takes everything in him to not go over there and take her away but he needs to know, needs to make sure.

Minutes go by as Bray continues to step closer to the young girl and she steps back, his leg beginning to jingle in pure nerves as she shakes her head.

"Fucking hell," Seth mumbles while stepping closer to the door and opening it a little bit more.

"C'mon sweet little girl, your Daddy wants you to come with me," Bray states with a smile that even creeps Seth out.  At the same time though, he's thankful that Bray made such a colossal mistake in using the word Daddy, since the little girl never calls Roman that.

"No," She states and Seth grins when he watches her cross her arms across her chest and shake her head. Roman , himself and even Ambrose always made sure to tell JoJo to be aware of certain people and Seth can't help but be filled with pride when he sees that she clearly listened.

Letting out a breath of relief, he takes a step back while still watching, crossing his own arms as he hears Bray try to convince the little girl to go with him. Noticing how frustrated the hillbilly is getting, Seth steps closer once more with a quiet snarl when he realizes that Bray has his hand on J's wrist.

"Let me go," He hears J shout and Seth can't help but inhale as his fingers clench with anger. He's not allowed to go and help her, he thinks as he begins pacing while looking for someone to help her instead. Groaning, he takes an exhale and is about to walk away before –

"Owwww," Eyes wide, Seth turns around and opens the door with wide eyes before snarling some more. Bray has picked up Roman's daughter, who in turn has begun to slap at the man's back with tears in her eyes. Seth can see a ring of bruises around J's wrist before he steps closer with another snarl.

"Let her go, Wyatt," Seth glares, fingers clenched as Bray chuckles.

"Is the authority's golden boy _really_ telling me to let go of his own once-brother's daughter?" Wyatt states with an arched brow as Seth steps even closer.

"Let. Her. Go." He repeats before his gaze turns towards J, who has stopped struggling and started staring at him with wide, watery eyes. "Everything's going to be okay Princess, okay?" He questions as she nods her head slowly before whimpering as Bray's hold tightens.

"And what will you do if I don't, Rollins?" Wyatt chuckles and Seth frowns before narrowing her eyes.

"You will though because we both know that I am not afraid to hurt you, Wyatt." Seth answers while practically nose-to-nose with the opposite man. He watches as Wyatt's eyes narrow and the man takes a step back which causes Seth to snarl and to step forward.

"You won't do anything," Wyatt chuckles and Seth frowns before looking at Joelle. "Sweetie. I need you to land on your feet, alright?" He asks, waiting for Roman's daughter to nod before stepping forward and swinging his arm, punching Wyatt in the nose.

Surprised, Wyatt stumbles and drops Roman's daughter and Seth lets out a sigh before picking up the young girl and stepping backwards.

"Any idea where your Tam'a is, princess?" He asks while picking up speed and walking away from Wyatt's room, looking back every few minutes, not surprised when he sees Wyatt slowly stumbling to follow him. Heart beat picking up, Seth looks towards Joelle, blinking when he sees her grinning at him.

"What?" He grumbles with a frown.

"I knew you wouldn't break your promise," She mumbles before hugging him and Seth sighs, looking backwards briefly before making a noise.

Yeah, he thinks. He is so screwed, now.


	3. Chapter 3

Looking over his shoulder every few minutes, Seth Rollins let out a deep breath and shifted the young child in his arms. Seth knew, without a doubt, that he was screwed, and as he scurried along the shadows of the hallways, he knew that he needed to get somewhere safe. And he needed to get there fast. Looking over his shoulder once more, Seth found his steps becoming quicker as Wyatt entered the hallway they were currently in.

"Shit," He mumbles upon looking forward, shifting the young child in his arms and looking down at her briefly. "You doing alright, princess?" He questions after a few moments, waiting as Joelle nods and Seth lets out another breath. "You're not hurt?" He ends up pondering with a frown, even checking over the child in his arms after she denies being hurt.

"You swore," Joelle states and Seth finds himself stumbling slightly in surprise before blinking and looking over his shoulder once more. "Scary men went into a room. Why did you swear?" Joelle states and Seth looks back at her before exhaling one last time and putting her down on the ground gently. Seth knew he couldn't panic, not right now. Especially not right now, with Roman's daughter next to him.

"Seth!" Joelle whines and Seth looks down once again, chewing on his lower lip before sitting on the ground and pulling Joelle into his lap, holding her in his arms.

"I swore, princess, because I'm scared." Seth admits slowly while still chewing on his lip and looking down the hallways. He doesn't trust what's going on, doesn't trust that Wyatt won't pop out of one of the rooms and try and take the little girl from him. He knows with everything in him that he should get Joelle to Roman, but damn it, he needs a moment to think.

He's screwed, because if anyone sees Joelle with him, they'll tell Hunter and Stephanie immediately. And he can say goodbye to the belt because of that. Because the one rule they had was that Seth had to try his hardest to ignore his former Shield brothers. And saving Joelle from a monster like Wyatt was breaking that rule immensely. "Seth!" Joelle shouts and Seth blinks before looking down and smiling lightly.

"What's wrong princess?" He questions even though he's pretty sure he knows that she's going to ask why he was scared. She was always worrying about him when he was a Shield member, even when Roman had told her she had nothing to worry about. He had no idea why, but he remembers always wanting to make her happy.

"Shit," He mumbles while tilting his head back and hitting the wall behind him. Yeah, he was so incredibly screwed. Whether or not The Authority heard about what happened or Joelle ended up questioning him about his betrayal, he was incredibly screwed.

"Seth! Why are you scared?" Joelle whines and Seth blinks himself into focus before looking at the young child. He knows he shouldn't tell her the truth, should deflect. She's a  _child_ , for goodness sakes, but… he's never lied to Joelle and he sure as hell doesn't plan on starting, either.

"Because the people I…" Seth hesitates, wondering how to phrase this next part before –

"The people you betrayed Uncle Dean and Tam'a for?" Joelle interrupts and Seth cringes backwards, ignoring the way Joelle squeezes his hand after a minute.

"Yes. Those people – they will not be thrilled that I decided to protect you," Seth answers slowly, mind whirling as he wonders what Joelle is thinking about right now. He watches as her own face turns into a frown and she turns her head, a sure-fire way of knowing that she's thinking about  _something_. He just wishes he knew what it was. With a snort, Seth shakes his head, knowing that the reason he has no idea what Joelle is thinking about is his own fault. He waits quietly as Joelle continues to think about something, eyes watching the hallway like a hawk, making sure that Wyatt doesn't appear out of nowhere.

"Is it because they know you still care for us?" Joelle eventually asks, surprising Seth out of his thoughts as he looks down at her. Blinking at the girls wide eyes, Seth licks his lip before swallowing, his mouth and throat dry. It shouldn't surprise him that Joelle can tell Seth still cares for Roman and yes, even Dean. The young girl was always an observer of the things going on around her.

"They still care for you too, you know." She whispers before cuddling into his chest and Seth finds himself swallowing and then letting out a breath, burying his head into her hair as he thinks about what she just said. Of course he knew, somewhere inside of him, that Roman and Dean had to have still cared for him. They told him so, at the beginning of his betrayal. But wondering if, even after all of this time, and all of the fights they've had, that the two of them still care for him? It's almost too much for Seth to handle.

"Tam'a likes to pretend he doesn't miss you, but I know better." Joelle whispers and Seth can feel his heart breaking as he blinks away a sudden onslaught of tears. He hated having to betray Roman and with Roman's kid telling him this –

"Joelle," He sighs with a shake of his head, his hold on the child tightening just slightly as she snuggles closer.

"It's true. Sure, you hurt 'im but he misses you loads. "Joelle states with a shrug before pulling away and looking down and to the side with a frown. Seth finds himself frowning in return and looking around before rubbing Joelle's back.

"So they wouldn't want you to protect me because….they believe it will make you betray them the way you betrayed Tam'a?" Joelle questions and Seth nods before dragging himself and Joelle off of the ground, legs cracking as he does so.

"How about we go find your Tam'a, yes? Get you behind safe doors?" Seth asks as he shifts Joelle in his arms and she wraps her arms around his neck with a nod.

* * *

* * *

* * *

"Man, where could your Tam'a possibly be?" Seth asks in frustration as Joelle shrugs and leans on his shoulder. The two of them have been walking through the various hallways for at least thirty minutes looking for Roman's locker room and soon, Seth knows he's going to get caught.

"What will happen if the people learn you're protecting me?" Joelle asks and Seth lets out another breath of frustration as he looks over to the young girl in his arms. He knows she can handle the truth but a part of him doesn't want to worry the girl, either.

"They will probably make my life real hard. They will probably try to take away my title," Seth sighs while opening another door and letting out a groan of frustration when it's revealed to be empty. He can feel Joelle frowning into his shoulder and he waits for her to say what she's thinking while he continues to open doors that only end up revealing an empty room.

"That's not fair to you." Joelle mumbles and Seth can't help but tilt his head in agreement. It isn't fair, and everyone knows that but since the people who are doling out the punishment are the bosses of the company –

"You're right. S'not fair, but these are the bosses of the company, princess. They can do whatever they please." Seth admits as he opens another door only to close it just as fast.

"Was it the scary man?" Joelle questions and Seth cringes while shaking his head and stepping away from the door. He knows he didn't close the door fast enough however, when he hears the all too familiar, "Seth!" come from inside the room and he sighs, looking at Joelle before opening the door, trying to hide her from view.

"Boss!" Seth exclaims, trying to sound like he's not panicking on the inside. While he's always been closer to Hunter than he has been with Stephanie, Seth has a feeling that if he walked into the room with Joelle, Hunter wouldn't be too impressed. Sure, Hunter was the one that brought them over from NXT, even if they didn't admit it but –

"Seth, it's fine." Hunter states and Seth frowns, looking back and forth from Joelle and his boss before stepping into the room slowly. Joelle is looking up at him curiously and he shifts her when he notices her eyes widening as she takes in his boss.

"Why exactly, is it fine?" Seth asks with narrowed eyes, staying near the door while Hunter chuckles.

"Because I saw her when you first opened the door; and I'm a father myself. You might not be  _her_ dad, but I know you were her uncle for a good amount of years." Hunter shrugs and Seth swallows, throat dry as he takes in that statement. He always forgets that Hunter is a dad, that the older man knows what it's like to worry about children and family.

"Okay." Seth sighs with a nod of his head, walking further into the room and shutting the door on the off chance that someone wanted walks by. The room is silent for a while as Seth shifts uncomfortably and Joelle looks around the office, eyes widening whenever she opens and closes her mouth like she's found something interesting she wants to bring up. Unable to stand the silence, Seth opens his mouth to ask  _why_  but before he can, the door is thrown open.

With wide eyes, Seth turns around and holds on tightly to Joelle before relaxing slightly when he realizes that a furious Roman is standing in the doorway.

"Well, this can't be good," Joelle whispers as Hunter snorts and Seth groans, head tilted back in exasperation.

"If I say it isn't what it looks like, would you believe me?" Seth groans with a shrug of his shoulders as Roman looks at him straight on. Immediately, Seth finds himself taking a step backwards, not out of fear but out of the fact that within those eyes, Seth can see something that he'd never thought he see, and it scares the shit out of him.

"Depends. What's this look like?" Roman states slowly, stepping closer to a Seth that continues to back away.

"It looks like me handing over your daughter to my boss. But it's not." Seth responds with a blink.

"It does indeed look like that," Roman acquiesces while taking another step forward before stopping as Hunter clears his throat and arches his eyebrow.

"Well, it wasn't like that, Reigns." Hunter begins only to stop as Roman snorts.

"No Tam'a, really. Seth saved me from the scary man a while ago and we were looking for you up an' down the hallway but we couldn't find you an' then Seth opened this door an' it was Mr. Bossdude and Seth tried to close the door before I was seen but Bossdude saw me anyways an' so he told Seth to come in an' Seth was jus' about to say something when you came barrelling in." Joelle rushes and Seth notices Roman arch his eyebrow before looking between Hunter and himself.

"I –" Seth begins, looking down at the floor as he shuffles his feet. "I couldn't let Wyatt hurt her, Roman. I told you, I wasn't planning on breaking the promise," Seth shrugs, not noticing Joelle grin happily.

"You DID remember the promise!" She exclaims, kicking her feet lightly while Seth chuckles lightly. "I wasn' sure if you remembered it because you  _did_ betray Tam'a an' Uncle Dean so I thought maybe you woulda betrayed me too but then I thought well nooooo because you pinky promise swore you wouldn' hurt me and—"

"Joelle," Roman chuckles, taking the little girl from Seth's arms and snuggling her once he has her. "Breathe, princess," Seth hears Roman whisper and Seth shuffles quietly while looking between his boss and – and Roman.

"Right. Now that Joelle is safe and boss you don't need me for anything—" Seth begins, looking towards Hunter quickly before looking away and nodding, "I'm just going to leave now." He states with another nod before making his way to the still open door and leaving as quickly as he could.

* * *

* * *

* * *

An hour later finds Seth in front of the cupboard in his own locker room, taping his wrists before he has to do his own segment. The past couple of hours are flashing through his mind as he wraps the tape continuously around his wrist and he lets out a breath of relief now that he knows the princess is safe and not near Wyatt's creepy advances.

Just as he's about to finish one of his wrists, the door to his locker room is opened and he turns his head to find Roman standing in the doorway. Slumping, Seth closes his eyes and bangs his head against the edge of the cupboard, scowling when he ends up hitting a very familiar hand instead.

"What do you want, Rome?" Seth sighs, opening his eyes and sitting on the bench in front of him, shoulders still slumped as he watches Roman pace in front of him. Roman stays silent for a few minutes, continuing to pace and run his fingers through his hair in frustration before he stops in front of Seth and kneels so they're eye to eye.

"I want to know why, Seth. Why save my daughter from Wyatt? Why bother go looking for me in the first place?  _Why_ , when you're the reason this past year has been absolute hell for me?" Roman finishes, voice pleading as Seth looks away.

"I told you alrea—"

"No, you lied," Roman interrupts and Seth is about to stand up in aggravation when he feels Roman's hands on his thighs. Looking towards them, he flicks his eyes towards Roman, licking his lips lightly. "You lied, and you know I know you were lying. And we both know I hate liars. So tell me the truth, Seth." Roman states all the while inching closer. By the time he finishes his sentence, Roman is so close to Seth that all Seth would have to do is turn his head to kiss the man. And fuck, does he want to kiss the man.

"I—" Seth begins, looking down at Roman's lips, licking his own and ignoring the way Roman's curl up into a smirk.

"C'mon, Rollins. I know you have the ability to tell me somewhere within you." Roman begins as Seth blows out a frustrated breath. Yeah, has he mentioned how screwed he is lately?

"You wouldn't believe me," Seth murmurs while Roman snorts.

"Pretty boy, I haven' believed a word you've said since June. How 'bout you fucking make me, yeah?" Roman grins and Seth, unable to stand it, snarls before pulling the older man in closer to him and kissing him. Within minutes Seth opens his mouth to Roman and his fingers are tugging on the older man's hair, a moan about to escape from his throat when Roman pulls back and kisses his neck.

"Save that for later. Tell me." Roman whispers, tugging on Seth's ear with his mouth after which has Seth thrusting upwards with a whimper.

"Fine." He mutters, eyes flickering closed as Roman's hand settles on the edge of his pants and Roman's mouth begins trailing kisses on his neck.

Yeah, he is so screwed. Hopefully literally, too.


	4. Chapter 4

The locker room is completely silent except for the small whimpers that come out of Seth's mouth. His fingers are currently tangled in Roman's hair as Roman sucks on the skin between his shoulder and his neck. Seth's head is tilted back and his mouth is open, hips thrusting while his dick hardens in his pants. Letting out another whimper, Seth closes his eyes and mouth, fingers clenching Roman's hair.

"You were saying?" Roman mumbles against Seth's collarbone, and Seth groans before pushing Roman away from him and narrowing his eyes.

"Why do you want to know so damn bad?" Seth murmurs while looking at the ground and chewing on his lower lip. He blinks in surprise when he feels Roman's fingers tilting his chin up, a soft smile on his face as Roman puts a strand of his hair behind his ear.

"Because I care about you, Seth," Roman whispers, stroking Seth's cheek. Taking a deep breath, Seth looks down at the ground, Roman's gaze too much for him. "Hey," Roman whispers as Seth looks up at him once more, chewing on his lower lip again.

"Tell me why, Seth. I'm not s'pose to care about you, but I do. And I _know_ you, man. I know you care. I know you –" Unable to take it anymore, Seth arches forward and kisses Roman, opening the other man's mouth with a groan when he feels Roman's tongue. The two battle for dominance for a few minutes before Roman pushes himself away and Seth pants into the other man's chest.

"Stop being so damn distracting," Roman mutters, causing Seth to snort and shake his head before going in for another, smaller, kiss.

"You're distracting me from the point," Roman grumbles.

"That _is_ the point," Seth chuckles, peppering little kisses on Roman's neck. Briefly, Seth hears Roman chuckling above him before being pushed away and a scowl appears on his face as he crosses his arms.

"Tell me, Rollins. Why did you save my daughter? Why do you seemingly still care about us?" Roman states while putting his arms around Seth's waist. The position is so reminiscent to how the two of them used to stand when they were together that Seth can't help but inhale and look up at Roman with wide eyes.

"Seth, I need to know. Please." Roman whispers while Seth licks his lips. He knows Roman could take this, he just doesn't know if _he_ could take this. When he betrayed the Shield, he promised to – he promised a lot of things, to be honest.

Sighing, Seth links his fingers together across Roman's neck and looks away with a frown. "I made a promise to Joelle, shortly after we got together that first time," Seth begins with a small smile, memories going through his mind. Memories of Roman and him spending an entire day in bed, rolling around and laughing as happiness filled their lives. And then he ruined it all by giving it up for something that he thought --

"Hey," Roman interrupts with a smile as Seth looks up into his face. "Get out of memory land and talk to me, pretty boy. What was your promise?" Seth's quiet for a few minutes, looking at the ground briefly before shifting on his feet and looking back up.

"I promised her I'd never hurt her, Rome," Seth snorts while shaking his head before continuing, "I promised her that no matter what happened between you and I in the future, that I would always think of her and not let her get hurt, no matter what." Seth shrugs and steps away, feeling insecure. The room is silent for a few minutes, and Seth knows it's because Roman is thinking things through, is wondering if Seth could be trusted.

Seth knows Roman will decide he can't be trusted. He wouldn't even trust himself, if Seth thought about it himself. Frowning, Seth lets out a breath and looks up, widening his eyes in surprise when he sees Roman looking at him fondly.

"You always did love my daughter," Roman responds as he steps closer to Seth. Doing everything he can to not step backwards, Seth tilts his head up and looks at Roman, clenching his hands into fists.

"I did," He whispers, "I loved you too." He finishes before chewing on his lower lip when Roman scoffs. He deserved that, he knows, but –

"Pretty sure if you loved me, you wouldn't have done what you did," Roman mutters and it's Seth's turn to scoff before he narrows his eyes.

"Tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing?" Seth snaps, finally finding it in himself to step away from the older man. "The opportunity of a lifetime, tell me you wouldn't have—"

"Not if it meant betraying the ones I loved, Seth," Roman growls and stepping closer once more. Sighing, Seth shakes his head and steps away from Roman completely, running his fingers through his hair in aggravation.

"Roman, I –" Seth begins before letting out a frustrated growl and turning around.

"I'm not going to apologize for doing something that got me where I am today. But I am going to apologize for hurting you. I never –" Seth pauses, closing his eyes and growling at himself.

"But you _did_ , Seth," Roman responds quietly while stepping into Seth's personal space. The room is silent once more for a few minutes before Roman puts his hands on Seth's hips and brings him closer, kissing the top of Seth's head.

"And for some insane reason, I still can't get you out of my head." Seth startles at that, widening his eyes as he looks into Roman's, mouth dropping open in surprise before he finds his own hands wrapping themselves up in Roman's hair and pulling the older man down for a kiss.

The kiss is slow but intense, and for the first time since Seth betrayed The Shield, he feels at home, completely calm and absolutely happy. Within minutes, Seth is opening his mouth under Roman's prodding, their tongues fighting for dominance before Seth stops, letting Roman dominate him. Moaning, Seth thrusts his hips into Roman's, letting out another moan when he feels how hard Roman is.

"Fuck, Rome—" Seth moans, breaking away from Roman and kissing down the older man's neck, fumbling with the buttons of Roman's vest.

"Seth," Roman groans, pulling Seth's hips closer to his own before fumbling with Seth's belt. The seconds seem to last forever as Seth groans into Roman's neck, thrusting when Roman's knuckles brush against his dick.

"Rome, please," Seth whimpers, skin crawling as it seems like Roman is taking his sweet, sweet time.

"It's this stupid fuckin' belt of yours, Seth," Roman groans before using one hand to pull Seth's face away from his neck by his hair and kissing him furiously. The two let out a groan simultaneously before Seth pushes Roman away and unbuckles his belt for Roman.

"Fuck," Roman growls, watching the younger man with lust-filled eyes, licking his lips before dragging Seth back into his arms and kissing him just as furiously as before.

"M'sorry," Seth mutters between breaths while Roman drags him closer, thrusting into the younger man before breaking away from the kiss.

"Show me, then," Roman responds with a smirk, hands pulling down Seth's pants slowly. Seth feels his eyes widen in surprise, mouth dropping open once again.

"No." He responds, stepping back with a frown and shaking his head. "Don't wanna top. Not tonight. Not—" Seth mutters while Roman drags him back into his arms.

"Don't want you to top, pretty boy. Want you to show me you're sorry," Roman breaths before undoing his own pants and turning Seth around quickly so that the two remain touching. Seth feels his face break out into a smile as he kisses the older man's hands. It's been forever, but Seth always liked the control Roman would have over him, how Roman knew what he needed and wanted

"Please," Seth mutters, throwing his head back and closing his eyes when he feels Roman's tip at his entrance.

"Always," Roman mutters, kissing Seth's forehead before –

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Seth's eyes open in surprise as the angry voice resonates in his head. The angry voice of one Dean Ambrose.

"Please tell me you're fuckin' kiddin' me right now," Dean growls, eyes narrowed and hands clenching as he steps forward angrily. Looking backwards briefly, Seth deflates when he sees the look on Roman's face and knows, without a doubt, that things won't be progressing any time soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean confronts Roman and Seth about what he walked in on. Soon, they're interrupted once more.

Seth Rollins shifted on the balls of his feet, feeling uncomfortable as he zipped up his pants. Next to him stood Roman, zipping his own pants up with a scowl on his face. In front of them was one hell of an angry Dean Ambrose, arms crossed in front of his chest and upper lip curled in a snarl. Seth grimaced before stepping back at the look that Dean gives him, and his entire body shakes. This is it, he thinks. Any sort of headway he was making with Roman, sexual or not, really, is gone now that Dean has caught them red-handed, so to speak. Seth knew without a doubt that Roman wasn't going to want to continue what they were getting re-started, not now.

Sighing sadly, Seth looks down at his feet, continuing to rock on the balls of his feet as he crosses his arms across his own chest. Looking over at Roman out of the corner of his eyes, he felt his heart plummet when he realized that Roman was mirroring his position perfectly.

S his head and turning around, turning his back on Dean so that no one could see how vulnerable he truly was in this moment, Seth believed that everything was truly over. He believed that there was no way that Roman would go against Dean, especially when Dean always stated how much he hated Seth. Seth needed to accept this, now, that he was going to be alone.

Unbeknownst to Seth, Roman had lifted his head up and narrowed his eyes, crossing his own arms in a show of dominance over Dean. He had stepped back a little, so he was aligned with Seth and he had arched an eyebrow when Dean had made a noise of contempt.

"Seriously?" Seth hears Dean snarl, and he looks back in confusion, a frown on his face.

"What? Roman's obviously going to go with you," Seth sighs, body slumping and head falling after he says that out loud, like it's finally going to be true. He's surprised when he hears Roman say 'no' loud and clear. His eyes widen and his mouth drop opens as he brings his head up to look at Roman with a hint of hopefulness.

"Seriously?!" Dean shouts once more, punching the door, causing Seth to jump slightly and cringe backwards. He hears Roman growl lightly in response and looks towards him in confusion.

"Yeah, really, seriously?" Seth questions after a few minutes, uncrossing his arms and stepping closer to Roman, wanting to touch the other's arm for reassurance but holding back because of Dean. When Roman sighs, Seth bites on his lower lip and waits patiently for an answer.

Before Roman can give it though, Dean interrupts them once more. "HEY!" He shouts, throwing his hands up in the air and Seth lets out an annoyed huff before turning towards Dean, "What?" He shouts back, eyes bulging while his arm extends forward in exasperation.

When Dean turns towards Roman and ignores Seth completely, Seth just sighs tiredly before sitting down on one of the benches and puts his face in his hands, bored.

The room is quiet for a few minutes as Dean and Roman glare at one another before Roman shrugs, "What, Dean? What are you asking me?"

"Why are you with him, Roman? After everything he did to us, why did I walk in on you about to fuck him like it was a year ago?" Dean is snarling by the end of the sentence and Seth cringes, looking down.

"Because, despite everything Dean," Roman begins before pausing and Seth can't help but notice how Roman's eyes are blown wide, how he has sweat on his forehead and how his finger keeps ticking out a beat on his leg. Frowning, Seth wonders what Roman's going to say and focuses on Roman instead of what's going on with his nerves, instead.

"Despite everything, bro, Seth still cares. He saved my princess tonight, and—"

"So what, Seth has one Jiminy Cricket moment, and you want to fuck him?" Dean interrupts with a snarl as Roman scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"No," Roman grounds out, his teeth grinding together in anger. "I also realized that, just like last year, I was still absolutely in love with him." Roman snaps just before Dean opens his mouth to interrupt. Seth stutters briefly, completely surprised as he stares at Roman with even more wider eyes than before.

"You're still in love with him?!" Dean whispers, eyes narrowed and fists clenching at his side. Seth looks from Roman to Dean, still processing what Roman had said a seconds before. "After everything that he did, Ro, you still have feelings for him?"

Seth turns towards Roman, brow furrowed as he wonders what Roman will say, what Roman is thinking about. The room is quiet for a few minutes, and Roman's shoulders are slumped as he leans against the wall.

"You can't – it's not easy to fall out of love with someone, Dean." Roman mutters, "And I tried, God only knows I tried. And you know how I tried. You were there for all of it—"

"EXACTLY!" Dean shouts, surprising Seth. "I WAS THERE FOR ALL OF IT. I SAW HOW HURT YOU WERE, HOW MUCH OF A MESS YOU WERE!" He continues, "No one else saw that but me, and now – you're just going to back to him? What if he messes you up again, huh?" Seth can't help but cringe, and sit straighter, fingers taping on his leg anxiously.

"Yeah, you were," Roman breathes before shaking his head and stepping forwards. "Listen, I understand _why_ you're angry. You feel betrayed—"

"You're damn right I do,"

"And I understand, but I moved on, Dean. I can't live without—"

"You should be able to!" Dean snarls and Seth's had enough, he can't take this anymore. He doesn't know when it happened, but he's standing up and his arms are crossed against his chest and his eyes are wide with his heart racing.

"I made a mistake, and I get that Ambrose, but I'm _sorry_ ," Seth whispers. "I'm not sorry for doing what I did, but I am sorry for hurting you. You and Roman, both." He bites on his lower lip, eyes roaming the locker room before landing on Dean.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you, Dean. But I love Roman. I always have. And something is going on, something that doesn't make sense. Something that involves Roman, and I need to figure out what that is," He finishes, pulling on his lower lip in thought.

The room is quiet for a few minute and Seth looks at Roman, sees the understanding in his eyes and for some reason, the tension leaves his body. He knows, that even if Dean hates his guts forever, he'll be fine as long as he has Roman.

"Listen," Dean snarls quietly, and Seth has a gut feeling that this isn't going to end well. "I don't care what you –"

The door to the room opens once more, and Dean stops talking, turning towards the door before glaring. In the doorway stands Hunter and Seth can't help but feel a small amount of relief before he looks at Hunter's face.

Something's not right, he thinks. He stares at Hunter, waiting for the older man to say something, but he stands there for a few minutes, clearly thinking about something. Seth is willing to wait him out, knows how the man works by now, knows that sometimes, Hunter needs to collect his thoughts before saying something.

"What?" Dean snarls and it takes everything Seth has to not roll his eyes at his once brother. When Hunter crosses his own arms, Seth can't help but sigh and run his fingers through his hair.

"Steph is involved with Wyatt," Hunter states and Seth frowns, brow furrowing in thought.

"What.." He trails off, surprised once more.

"Stephanie is working with Wyatt. I overheard –" Hunter sighs, shaking his head. "I overheard her telling him to get Reigns' kid this time, or else," He sighs and Seth can't help but feel devastated. Stephanie was family.

"Shit." He mutters, falling back down onto the bench. He feels numb, he –

"Why?" He mutters, looking at Hunter, who only shrugs in response.

"I wish I knew. What I do know is that if Steph is working with Wyatt and not telling us—"

"She can't be trusted," Seth murmurs while Hunter nods. The room is quiet for a few more minutes before Dean moving towards the door attracts Seth's attention.

"I'm out of here, I'm not dealing with your pseudo-family bullshit," He snarls, "C'mon, Roman!" He states.

"No." Roman answers immediately which causes Dean to rear back in surprise.

"This is my daughter, Dean, your niece." He states. "I'm staying. Would have thought you'd stay too, at least for her, but I guess not." He responds, turning towards Seth as Dean snarls and leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

"I'm sorry," Seth whispers, guilt flooding through him as Roman shrugs.

"Was bound to happen sooner or later," Roman responds with a soft smile before turning towards Hunter.

"I don't trust you. But I wasn't lying about this being for my daughter, so, I'm willing to work with you." Roman states with a pause as Hunter nods. "Now, where is my daughter and, more importantly, what are we going to do?" He asks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eep, this took forever and my deepest apologies for that. I've been meaning to get this out for a while, to be honest, and once the curse of the feud never-happening hit, I was more motivated than ever. I hope you enjoy it, we're almost done this part of the series. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out within the next week, week and a half, so. Enjoy, lovelies 3


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